Watch You Die
by InvidiaTheVampire
Summary: When the son of the Hun leader Burilgi hears about the death of his father, Shan Yu, at the hands of Mulan a dark, sinister plot plants in his mind. Through patience and silent rage, Burilgi will stop at nothing to bring Fa Mulan to her knees.
1. The News

**Note: Burilgi is my own character. I own him and no one else does. You are not allowed to use him unless you have my permission. Mulan and all the other characters from the movie belong to their creators and Disney. Enjoy. Reviews are welcomed kindly. **

"**Dieh" and "Ama" mean father and mother just incase to avoid confusion. **

White ashes fly high into the clear, night sky as the fire below glows dimly through the moon light. Sounds of men chatting about the fight between the Huns and China have been spreading around as much as the fire had been. I only sat off at the side and ignored the pathetic talk of this battle. Father never allowed me into the army after all the training I had done to prove to him I was worthy to fight. This battle meant nothing to me.

Suddenly, the sound of a horse's cry breaks the conversation of these men and my eyes shift over to where the sound had come from. There I see a man, his face stricken with worry and panic as he rode on towards the camp through the night. The men around the fire quickly stand and rush towards the riding horsemen, almost as if they had never seen another like him before. I remain behind, watching with quietly as my eyes remained glued on the moving horse. The horse seemed quite injured to be riding through such conditions like these. Somehow this had troubled me, for the horse itself looked quite familiar as well. Another neigh and the horse comes to a sudden stop around the circle of men that waited for the arrival of their kin. He steps off, nearly falling to his knees as he looked at his kin with hardened, battle sore eyes. I stand, now walking over to the small circle to see what was so important about this man. Had we finally succeeded into taking over rival China or was there something wrong with the situation? I wasn't too sure on my answer but I had to know what indeed was going on here. I stop, just standing a few feet away from the group as I hear that they begin to converse about the situation.

"Where is Burilgi? He is needed for this." One of the men ask, looking about with suspicious eyes. I move forward, keeping a calm expression as I passed through all the men to meet with the rider. I stop again, now barely a few inches away from the tired solider.

"You are Burilgi, am I correct?" he asks, panting slightly as he looked up at me with dark, piercing eyes. I nod, answering him with a cold expression almost building a scowl. "I have…some new to tell you." He says, almost hesitant to finish the rest.

"Whatever news you have to tell me, spare it. I will not care for it at all." I state coldly, crossing my arms and rubbing them tightly over the small scars I had received weeks ago. I then turn myself away and begin to walk away, keeping the small scowl on my face to keep the other men away from me.

"It is about your father, Shan Yu." He says and I pause, my eyes widening to the sound of my father's name.

"My father?" I ask, turning my head over to look back at the solider. The solider nods, his body turning stiff in sudden fright to see the look of confusion on my face. "What about my father?" I ask once more as I walk back towards the solider.

"Your father…he is dead…" he states, lowering his head slightly as sadness struck across his face. "He perished in the city of China before he could destroy the emperor himself." He says once more and my cold stare turns into a face of sorrow and disbelief. Father was gone, but how. He was the greatest warrior of all the Hun army. There had to be some kind of mistake here.

"You're lying! He is not dead! My father is better then any Hun warrior alive! He--!"

"A woman tricked him into his death, Burilgi. I am sorry for your loss, Burilgi. I wish this would've never happened to one of the world's greatest warriors." He says but I only raise my hand and look at him with my green eyes.

"A woman you say?" I ask, shifting my eyes away from the sullen solider that knelt below me. "What is the name of this woman that has taken the life and honor of my father?" I ask once more, lowering my hand to my side as I waited for my answer.

"Fa Mulan. Why is it that you ask?" the solider asks, rising slightly from the ground to face me. I do not reply to his question, thinking about the name of the woman that he had mentioned to me.

"Fa Mulan?" I say with the slightest look of malice coming upon my features. "How does a woman enter into China's military within this time and age? Isn't it the law in China that a woman is not allowed to enter into anything a man should do?" I ask a final time and the solider behind me grows silent to hear this. I wait, still wondering if my question would be answered or not. But something else had troubled me. I never had any trouble with a woman entering into any military to defend their country but how is it that a woman like her could defeat and none the less kill my father in front of everyone in China? This was a thought that would progress to haunt me for days to come. Silence still fell upon the group and the solider and I turn to face the solider with the look of slight impatience running across my face. "Well? Are you going to answer my question or do you feel that my question shall linger out into the open like a bird?" Again I wait, seeing the look of confusion run across his grey features.

"I suppose not sir." He answers quietly, shifting his eyes off to the side with the hint of resistance flowing through his voice. "This Fa Mulan has now been made into one of the emperor's finest generals in all of China. It is possible we may never win this war between China." He says, looking over at me with the slightest expression of fear on his face. I do not respond, thinking about what the solider had just stated to me. Now that the thought of my father's death had come across my mind, there was something else I had come. This Fa Mulan had taken away honor of my family name and now she must pay for what she had done to me. Father had paid for his brute and stubborn ways of losing his patience. I had warned him to not loose his patience during battle but he would never listen to any of the warning I have given him. Even before the day he left for battle I had warned him that his impatience would be the death of him and sadly is had been. But the past is the past and it is where it is placed. Now it is the present and it is aching for me to open it with the idea I am sprouting to release. I smiled, now tapping my thin fingers together as the thought of this new plan came to into thought. "Burilgi, I am sorry for you loss once more. If there was anything I could do for you and your mother I would be happy to do so." He says and my brows rise slightly to his offer.

"Actually, there is." I say, turning to look at him with a small, sadistic smile. He pauses, waiting for my order to come into place. "Find out all you can on this Fa Mulan and report back to me in two weeks." I order, fixing the top knot I kept my hair tied back in everyday. The solider nods, giving me a quick salute as he grabbed the reins to his injured horse to ride off once again but I quickly stop him before he takes his leave. "You first rest tonight and leave by dawn. I will supply you with a new horse and some equipment." I tell him, taking the reins from his hands and pulling the injured horse towards me. Again he nods, thanking me and walking off to his home as the group of men looked at him and then at me. "Tonight I will redeem my honor as I write it in the stars with Fa Mulan's blood." I cackle quietly, walking back to my own home with a sadistic smirk coming across my face…


	2. Ama's Tears

Upon the arrival of dawn the solider had done everything I had told him. He rose and came for me. I gave him his equipment and a new steed to ride on, one faster and less likely to fail at arriving into the China within the first few days or week. Now it is my time to play my part of the waiting game, but I knew it would not be long until I made my move into my game of hide and seek.

Dinner time soon came and my mother and I sat around the small, wooden table that held the dishes she had prepared for us this evening. All is silent between the two of us. Mother only eats slowly and does not dare to shift her eyes to look at me. I barely look at her or the food she had made for me. Since the news of father's death, mother had grown quite silent and avoiding then usual. I could not blame her for this either. I too felt her pain of sorrow and defeat. Of course there was a bright side to father's death. Mother no longer suffered from father's rage and abuse whenever they had engaged into an argument of leadership or decisions. The same had to go for father as well since mother was quite the aggressor herself when it came to times of argument, but there always was a downside when it came to these arguments from what I had remembered. Mother and father had always double teamed against me, taking out their own personal problems at me whenever I had questioned or asked for their love in return. But I never cared for their love. I never needed it in the first place. There was always a rise and downfall from something so tragic. I always seemed to find both out of coincidence or luck. I hear mother clearing her throat silently as she touched her hand on her chest. I knew this was her way her try to create conversation and I did not blame her. Father always had some kind of jesting expression to say whenever mother had made this gesture.

"More tea, ama?" I ask, taking the small, glass pot and pouring her a warm cup of tea. She does not answer, but only creeps a small smile onto her face. I too return a small smirk, picking the cup from the table and setting it in front of her bowl of soup. I didn't know what to say to her and I was sure she didn't know what to say in return. I don't blame her and nor do I blame myself. Death was always a hard thing for someone to go through but it will always be there for us to embrace it as much as pain would always embrace our lives. "A-Ama?" I call quietly, my lips quivering slightly as I struggled to progress some kind of conversation to make her happy. Her eyes shift slightly towards me, looking a bit stunned to hear me call her. "You haven't been speaking much lately to your friends and family. Are you well?" I ask, setting the pot aside and sitting next to her. Sitting next to her made me feel like a giant as it had also made me smile to see our size comparison. Along with father's cunning I had also possessed his large size to stand tall above everyone but I had possessed something better then anything father could've passed onto me. Mother's patience was my key into maintaining sanity in this cruel, barbaric life I had been lead to. Patience, it was all I needed to survive all that I have gone through and now I intend on using as a weapon to my own personal victory.

"Burilgi, my child, I am well. Though in a sense, I am deeply troubled by your father's death." Mother finally answers, cutting me off my trace of thoughts. I can feel her hands on my own, holding them softly as she stroked her fingers across my pale skin. I only sigh, giving her a small nod in return in agreement to what she had told me. I then look down to her, seeing her dark eyes looking into mine and my lips curl themselves into a small frown. I can see and sense the tears she ached terribly to release from her broken heart and I took felt my heart ache slightly to see her so saddened. I move my hand out, touching her small, pale face as I rubbed my fingers softly across her teary eyes. Now I can feel her sadness piercing right through me. It was almost as if I could read her exact thoughts on her exact words. "Oh, Burilgi!" Mother sobbed, wrapping her arms tightly around my skinny body with her head falling onto my shoulder. "Why did this have to happen? Why did he have to go this way?" she asked through her pain filled sobbed. I could only sit there and hold her in my arms as I too wondered the same thing. I couldn't answer mother's question if I too had wondered the same question, there would never be an answer to give her. But there was a glimmer of hope. Yes, there was. My plan. I had to tell mother the good news. I had to, but something had kept me from telling her. I paused, still holding my sobbing mother in my arms as the thought of previous plans foiled by both my mother and father's ambition to ruin me. No. I shall refuse to let her know what I have in store for this Fa Mulan. She will have to wait, just like I had to during my years of waiting for my parents love in return.

I now look back down to my mother and push her away, wrapping the hanging sleeve from my arm and wiping it across her eyes to clean away her tears. She smiles, placing her hand against my cheek and stroking it softly with a warm smile. "I think it is time for you to go to bed my son." She tells me in a soft whimper, trying not to break her gentle voice through her sobbing. I nod, telling her I understood what she had told me. And with that I kiss her good night and give her a final hug, just to make her feel that I was still here and willing to do anything to help her through her pain. "Good night my son. Sleep well tonight." She says, looking at me as I made my way out of the small dinning room.

"Good night…Ama…" I reply, trying not to choke on the resent of telling her this. All I can see was her small, sad smile in the distance as I left into my room. It almost made me regret choking on the words of telling her good night, but now was not the time for regrets. This was a time for war, a more deeper and personal war this Fa Mulan will face when I see her. She will soon face my wrath and soon the stars will keep the stories of how Fa Mulan's blood soaked the earth I once walked for years to come. I smiled, now with the thoughts of my plans beginning to grow darker and more sinister in the making. Soon I enter my bedroom and I quickly sit on the small bed covered in fur blankets. I disrobe and redress into my nightgown. I untie the band keeping my hair in the top knot I kept and let it fall as I feel it hit against my back. I smile, taking the gnarled comb at the side of my bed and brushing it through my jet black hair. How I remembered the times mother would spend hours brushing my hair and styling it to her liking on her good days. The conversations we had and shared to our liking, often leading into a great story of battle or song to calm my jangled nerves of fright from the world beyond me. Now I set the brush back down and lay myself in bed, pulling the covers over my shoulders and comforting myself to my liking. _Soon…I will avenge you my father…And I will prove to you that I am worthy…_ I think to myself, closing my eyes as my mind began to drift off into sleep.


	3. A Tear In Every Moment

…flash…

A screaming woman can be heard off into the distance as her screams echo throughout the night sky. A woman lies in a small bed covered in blood and water as she begged for the pain to end. Her husband holds onto her small hands, clinging tightly and trying his best to calm his wife through her pain. A doctor waits at the end of bed, urging the woman to give a final push to finish the ordeal.

"Push Narantsetseg! Push! I can see the baby coming! Push!" the doctor yells, almost commanding the woman in a most vexing tone. The woman howls out in pain and moans, finally giving the final push. Her moans are quickly smothered by the sounds of a wailing baby, screaming out as it gasped out its very first breath of air. "It's a boy! Congratulations Shan Yu. You've produced yourself a healthy son." The doctor exclaimed happily, wrapping the blood covered baby in a thick, furred blanket. Gasping, the women drew a tired, yet joy filled smile as she looked to her husband, the fearful Shan Yu, who also looked on with a joy filled smile. "You two must be very happy to hear such delightful news." The doctor exclaims, wiping away the blood from the baby's face. He then looks over to Narantsetseg and smiles, handing the small child over to her with great care. "Congratulations." He says once more, giving the two a quick bow of respect. Shan Yu nods and bows, thanking the doctor for all that he had done to make this day happen for them. With that the doctor departs, leaving the couple alone with their newborn son in his mother's arms.

"He's beautiful." The mother exclaims proudly, tears withering in her tired eyes. "He looks much like his father. Don't you think, Shan Yu?" she asks, shifting her eyes over to look at her husband. Her husband smiles, moving out a large hand towards her face and stroking it softly against her face.

"He too looks much like his mother." He says softly, keeping a warm smile as his eyes shifted to look down at his new son.

"What shall we name him?" Narantsetseg asks with her smile growing ever so slightly in happiness. Shan Yu thought for a moment, looking up to the stars with his smile growing bigger in joy as well.

"Burilgi, the destroyer among lands and conquer of the stars." He says, turning his attention back on his newborn son and wife but his smile soon fades when the child begins to open his eyes. "Wha-what is this?" he asks, nearly horrified to his discovery. His wife also looks down and screams out in mock horror to her husband's discovery. "What has happened to his eyes? Why are they not the same color as our own? Why are they a different shade then one another?" he asks, his face growing pale with horror to see that their son had been born with a set of green eyes of different shades. The mother only shakes her head and pushes the baby away, almost throwing him away in her fright. "This, this is a terrible omen! We are doomed!" Shan Yu snarls, grasping his jet black hair tightly in his hands. But he soon stops and calms himself, looking back at the baby to see that he had begun to cry. Narantsetseg only stares at her wailing child, pulling him back into the safety of her arms and cradling softly to silence him.

"I-I am sorry dear husband. I will have rid of the child by morning for you." She says, looking at her husband with saddened dark brown eyes. Shan Yu only replies with the shake of his head as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"No, you will not do such a thing. I will not waste my time into trying to make you produce another son for me. We'll just have to keep this one." He sighs, shifting his eyes back on his whimpering son. But his frown soon faded back into a small, soft smile as he ran his fingers gently through his son's hair. "Besides, this may be the only chance we have into raising our first child." He states softly, drawing himself closer to his wife and child with a smile…

…flash…

Years pass and I am now three. I am somehow seen as a passing feather flowing through the wind. Mother doesn't want me around and father is far too busy training the other warriors to prepare for future warfare.

I sit alone next to the stables as the horses grazed silently on their food. Mother is off at side feeding the fowl we kept whenever we needed meat or eggs to feast on. I watched silently, holding a small handful of grain in my hand as I looked at mother slaving away in her chores. A horse steps over to my side and snorts slightly to smell the food I held in my hand. I smile, moving my hand up towards the horse's sagging lips to feed it. It's lips curl around my small hand and begin to suck at it, taking the small beads of grain that dribbled off my hand and into its' mouth.

"Burilgi no!" I hear mother's voice screech from the distance. The pitter of her rushing feet quickly stop from behind me and snatch me from the ground and into her arms. Stunned, I gasp out in total fright and yelp, fearing she may hurt me for feeding the horse a bit of grain. Mother's hand quickly lashes out towards my saliva covered hand and smacks at it gently a few times, trying to clean off what she could. "Do not do that child! You can get nasty germs and I don't want to deal with another fever of yours!" she says, giving my hand a final smack as I look on with frightened green eyes.

"I sorry Ama…" I state quietly, my voice barely audible for her to hear me. She sighs and shakes her head, adjusting her arms to my weight and walking back inside our home for the arrival of my father…

…flash…

"What is it that you want from me, Shan Yu? Can't you see that I am busy?" mother snarls from the small kitchen door way. Father only stood a few feet away with an angered expression drawn across his grey features. I only watch from the distance as I tightly clutch an unfinished doll mother had been making earlier in her spare time. I had always hated it when mother and father fought over pointless arguments. They always make it seem as if it were my fault they were fighting. Suddenly, I hear a loud snap pop out and mother is on the ground holding her face in her hands.

"You should always know that you must hold your tongue in place until I address you to your purpose!" father snarls, stepping in front of mother with his hands curled into fists. Mother only remains on the ground, looking up at father with her hand placed onto her bruised cheek. I quickly stand and run towards mother, wanting to help her get through this fight with father.

"Ama!" I cry, dropping the doll behind me and wrapping my small arms around her body. Father only glares and scoffs, curling his lips into a small, fearful snarl of anger. "Leave Ama alone!" I cry out, trying to make myself appear more threatening then a normal five year old should look. **SLAP! **My head too flies in the other direction as father's hand lashed out towards my face. I cry, taking a few steps back as I too place my hand where I had been slapped. Father glared and kept his hand raised in place, stepping over mother and towards me. I whimper, taking a few more steps back as I tried to make a run for it, but I am caught by father's quick, bone crushing grasp by my arm. "Ow! Let go! Please--!" My cries are quickly cut off by another slap from father, making me scream out and grow silent to look at him with fear filled eyes.

"You will learn to respect me at all times! And you will learn to hold your tongue in place unless you are spoken to, boy!" he snarls, tightening the grasp around my tiny wrist. I feel the rush of panic rushing through my heart, almost making me loose control and burst into tears of fright. His grip is nearly crushing my wrist into dust and I am feeling the worst for me to come. I look to mother and I see that she is standing off at the side, watching quietly as she waited for her turn to speak. My eyes quickly shift back to look at father and I see his yellow eyes staring back at me in anger and impatience. "I will not tolerate disrespect from you too, boy! As if I do not have enough disrespect to deal with from your mother, now suddenly you think I will tolerate it from you? Do you?!" he growled, pulling my face closer to his own. I quickly answer with a shake to my head as I felt the slithering movement of a tear streaming down my bruised cheek. Father's hand lashes out once more and my face flies in the other direction with a pain filled yelp escaping my lips. My wrist is beginning to feel numb and I struggled for father to let go, but he held on tighter until I could feel no more. "You will bow and beg for my forgiveness you selfish brat!" he growled, throwing me off to the side as I land face first on the ground. I swallow hard as I lift my head off the ground to face my towering giant of a father before me. My body trembles slightly in fright to see him in such anger like this. Bruised and battered, I quickly gather myself to my knees and bow.

"P-please forgive me, D-Dieh. I p-promise not to disrespect you ever again." I whimper, trying not to crack my voice with the slightest hint of fright. I wait now, still holding myself in same position I had been told to stay in. All that could be heard is the sound of father's hard breathing and slight, scoffs of disgust as I waited for a reply. Waiting for father's reply made the anticipation build up heavily in my heart, making me feel a lot more frightened as I pressed my head harder onto the wooden floor to show I had submitted to him.

"Stand, boy!" he snaps, thumping his foot onto the ground and I quickly do what I am told to do. I can feel father's scorn burn onto my skin as I kept my eyes lowered onto my feet. "You follow orders well, boy, but you lack discipline." He states in a rather resentful tone. I do not answer him, fearing he may strike me again for speaking out of place. "I think it is time to introduce you into discipline, so you can learn to respect me and your mother." He says once more, now drawing a small, sadistic smirk on his features and I gulp, looking up to him with frightened, tear filled eyes. "Now leave. I can see that you have learned your lesson for the day." He sneers, turning himself away from me with his hand waving for me to go. I nod and bow once more, showing him that I had truly learned to hold my tongue in place before speaking out of turn…

I wake up late into the morning as I hold my head in my hands. I can hear mother off in the kitchen singing to herself about better times when she and father had been together before his death. I shake my head and sigh, placing my thin, boney fingers on my cheek were I had remembered my introduction into discipline. Somehow I can still feel the sting of father's hand brushing against my face that time, almost as if it had been done yesterday. I shake my head and breathe, taking the comb and tie to quickly fix my hair back into its top knot. I disrobe and redress into my day cloths, now stepping into the kitchen with the plan of destroying Fa Mulan coming back into my mind…


	4. The Message

Mother looks at me with rather surprised yet tired eyes. I can tell that her eyes were slightly puffy from all the crying she had been doing the previous night before. I do not say a word and stare at her, seeing the sorrow that had struck her eyes so many times before.

"You're up a little later then usual, Burilgi." Mother states, turning away towards the cooking pot and stirring the spoon about the broth. I do not bother to answer, leaving the small kitchen silent for the moment. I feel not the need to speak now nor do I feel the need to deal with family company at all. I step out again, walking out through the small door way outside and towards the small cliffs standing tall at the edge of the earth ahead. The walk is not long as much as the distance is not far from home, but it was always looked upon a hidden passage way to the gods. I stop, now standing upon the tallest of the rocks that stood above the earth for centuries. The wind blowing through my waist long hair whistled quietly as if it were trying to tell me something. Smiling, I close my eyes and take in a deep breath to calm myself down. I then sit, crossing my legs and reopening my eyes to stare at the never ending land that lay below me like a map. Not far I knew China's greatest hero lived somewhere in one of the many villages littering the dark earth below. _Soon…_ I thought, drawing a small, sadistic smirk across my features. _When you least expect it, Fa Mulan, I will bring you to your knees begging for your life…_ I cackle quietly, my eyes still glued onto the distant horizon before me. Suddenly, the sounds of a screeching hawk echo about the blue sky, catching my attention. The screeching continues, growing louder by each passing minute. My eyes quickly shift towards the sky and scan the area, searching for the crying bird. There, a small brown hawk flew above me, carrying what appeared to be some kind of note attached to its' leg. Seeing this made me feel quite uncertain about the coming situation. The hawk swooped down towards me, spreading its' wings out towards me as its' talons poised for my arm. Uncertain and confused, I place my arm out and wait, seeing the hawk draw closer towards me. I feel its' talons cut into my arm, but I do not bother to wince or cry, all that mattered to me was the note attached to its' leg. I reach out and take the note, looking at it then at the hawk. Its' golden eyes look into my own and it squawks quietly, almost as if it had told me to read it. I nod, gently pulling the ribbon around the note and letting it unravel itself to me. My eyes begin to scan the inscription written on this mysterious note, suddenly drawing a smile on my face as I read on.

"Perfect…" I smirk, moving the note down at my side. My scout had done well. This was indeed a day to celebrate a small, personal victory. With this note of little information, I now felt as if I knew a lot more about this Fa Mulan then I needed. Though small in as a list, it had provided the essential details needed to break Fa Mulan to her knees. My smile grows bigger as I clutch the note tightly through my nibble fingers. "This is perfect indeed." I cackle, placing the note away in my pocket. I then look at the hawk and nod, lashing my arm out into the open air for it to take flight. Screeching, it quickly spread its' wings and flew high into the sky, almost as if it had taken the biggest leap of faith. "You had done well to serve your master. Be sure he knows I have received his report." I say, still looking at the hawk as it flew further into the distance away from me. I then make my way back down the rocky cliff and back home. Mother must be quite worried about my whereabouts now that father is dead, yet it does not seem to bother me whether or not it bothered her. At the age of 19, I've always felt quite independent since the first days of my fine youth. Dependence was a rarity among our family and only weakens oneself through reliance of others. It was one of the many lessons father had taught me many times through painful beatings and challenging training sessions. If father were here I would thank him for teaching me such a powerful lesson. Sadly he would never hear my words of thanks, but soon, soon I will make him know that it will be I that will avenge him.

Soon I enter the familiar comfort of my home, seeing mother standing off at the side with crossed arms and hips poking out slightly. I knew this was her way of saying she wanted an explanation for leaving her alone for so long, but it would only draw a small, jesting smirk. Of course telling mother about my plan would most likely ruin my chances of getting revenge for my father, but eventually mother would find out soon. She waited, her foot tapping slightly in a vexing rhythm that nearly made my smirk fade away into a frown of disgust.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick about where you've gone! Leaving me alone all day just like your father had done!" mother scoffed, raising her hands above her head in a quick, silent fit. I only respond with a slight shrug and let my smirk grow bigger, making mother look at me as if I were insane. Within an instant, mother's hand lashes out towards me and swipes across my face, clearing the smirk I had drawn on my face. My face moves slightly to the left, my eyes closed slightly as a small frown of hate came into place. "Don't you dare bring your disrespect back upon me, Burilgi! If there is one thing I know, it is that your father had taught you well enough then to bring disrespect into this home!" she snarled, pointing a finger at me in her anger. I remain silent, moving my head forth to look back at her with a slight hint of disgust and hate. Mother's small rant of disrespect almost made me vomit with resent. She sounded much like father when a situation like had aroused itself into our home. Mother stops, now seeing the slight expression of hate get the best of me through her speech. "What do you have to say for yourself, Burilgi?" she asks, setting her voice back to its' calming tone. I sigh, shifting my eyes down to my feet and then back to her eyes as I begin to shift my lips into movement. I bite tightly into my lower lip, drawing a small wound of oozing, fresh blood to bleed in place.

"I'm…sorry…" I mumbled, trying not to choke on the words that slipped bitterly from my tongue. Mother smiled, seeming quite sure she had assured her own personal victory through her own teachings. I only glare, still trying to get the taste of blood from my lips to wash away the words I had let my mother hear to her victory. I then turn and leave quickly into my room, not wanting to deal anymore with my mother and any other problems that was arise to blockade my plans to destroy Fa Mulan. I can hear mother beginning to run on another rant, but I ignore her and enter the quiet of my room. Mother's words had finally begun to fade as I pulled the note out from my pocket for reading again with a smile coming back into place once again…


	5. Disappoint

…flash…

Walking through dusty waves of dry air and suffocating dirt, villagers moved about with haste through the dusty wind storm. The sun rose itself high into the sky, bearing its' harsh rays of light onto our land. The land had become barren for quite sometime, killing most of our crops and drying out most of the small lakes needed to supply us for our survival of water. The drought was upon us and many of us had fallen ill and weak from the lack of rain coming to us. Our water supply had been shortening quickly and soon it would all be gone before we all know it. Along with the lack of rain, came the scorching heat which nearly killed many of us from dehydration. Father had tried his best to keep as many villagers alive as he sent some of his finest troops to find some water to bring back, but there had been no luck. Mother remained indoors, hiding herself from the scorching rays of the burning sun to avoid illness. I remained outdoors, tending to one of the dying horses that struggled to keep his final moments of life. At the age of ten, life had began to take its turn for the worse for me, making me feel less of value to the ones I loved most.

The horse whinnies weakly, taking a few steps to the side before stumbling over his own hooves. I look on with despair and sigh, knowing there was nothing I could do to save him from dying a horrible death. Father had told me that life will not always bear sweet flowers of honey, but it also brings a heavy toll of death and despair.

Another weakened cry escapes the horse's, foaming, frothing mouth and his head sets down on the dry, desert like earth he once walked upon. I look on and lower my head, knowing that the horse had finally given up on his grasp for life. I sigh once more, stepping away from the corpse and walking back towards the village in disappointment. Father would not be pleased to hear that we had lost another horse to this drought. The very thought of father's disappointment made my heart grow heavy with fear and anguish. At least father's favorite prize possession had not gone to waste in this soul reaping cycle. A small howl of a wolf is heard off a few feet from where I stood and I see that father had returned from his search with his scouts. I smile, running towards the lumbering group of men staggering closer towards home.

"Dieh! Dieh!" I cry blissfully, happy to see that he had returned alive and well after weeks of searching for water. "Dieh!" I cry out, now running into father's large, muscular body with arms spread out for a hug. Father only looks at me and draws out a long, tired sigh as he passed by me. Still trying to keep my smile, I call out to father once more but he does not bother to even give me a single glance. My smile fades, now turning into the usual saddened frown I kept during times like this. I should've known then to expect father to come home happy to see his family, but there was a good excuse for him to be so resentful of me now. I shake my head, shaking away all the bad thoughts that had struggled to bring me down again. I walk on now, following the rest of the scouts back into the village. Along my father's side came his trusted hunting wolf, large and dark in his age and size through years of great hunts he had taken gone through with my father. Oh how my father adored his hunting wolf so. He seemed to have cared more for his wolf then me, but I would not let that bother me now. There were other problems to be dealt with that were far more vexing then this.

Back into the village, I walked through as I sulked silently in sadness to father's rejection towards me. A few feet away stood two warriors that had been training under father's elite for future warfare, waiting silently with calm smiles on their grey features. I walk pass them, not even sparing a single glance towards them in return. I had far more important things to deal with at the moment then waste time with them.

"Well hello, Burilgi." I hear one of the soldiers call after I had taken a few steps ahead of them. I stop, turning my head over to give them a quick glance over my shoulder. He smiles, shifting his eyes from me then to his friend. "I can see your father was right about you." He says, creeping a bigger smile on his face. I turn, facing them with look of confusion upon my face.

"What do you mean?" I ask, crossing my arms in slight annoyance. He only looks at his friend and nudges him in the gut with his elbow, making him giggle slightly to his gesture.

"What do you mean what do you mean? Has your father not told you?" the second soldier asks, smirking slightly to his own comment. Again I shake my head, answering them with the look of confusion growing bigger across my face. "No? How could you not know? After all, everyone else in the entire village knows but you. How could this be?" he jests, trying to hold back his mocking laughter as much as his idiotic friend had tried.

"Look, I am not in the mood for games. Whatever you want to tell me then tell me now so I can just go back home." I bark, trying to make myself appear as threatening as my father. But they only laugh out and look at each other as if they had played a joke on me. Through patience I wait, taking in slow breaths to calm my jangled nerves. They stop, taking in calming breaths to soothe their laughter. "Well?" I ask, raising a brow with a vexed sigh. The first of the two relaxes, quickly setting himself straight with a more serious expression coming into play.

"You're father thinks you're a bad omen upon our village and because of this, we all think it's all your doing into why this drought had come upon us." He exclaims, raising a brow in slight disgust. The second only nods, turning his head away from me to avoid eye contact. I gasp out slightly in disbelief; shaking my head to these pathetic lies I had been told. This can't be true, it can't be. If it were true then father would've told me by now and everything would be better. But somehow, I could help but to leave a part of me believing what they had told me. Maybe they were right just as father had stated. My head lowers slightly in shame, feeling despair and hurt over all that I could've caused by now. I had to end this drought and bring life back into our village again. Maybe then I could prove to my father that I wasn't a bad omen after all.

"Please! What can I do to end this drought and prove to my father that I am not an omen of evil?" I ask, but they do not answer me at all. I feel the rush of panic come into me, making my heart beat faster with anticipation and fear. "Please, tell me! I need to know!" I beg, grasping on the first soldier's arm with a slight tug. Again he and his friend do not reply and turn their heads away from me with frowns of disgust. "Please! I'll do anything to end this! Anything!" I beg, falling to my knees with my hands holding his arm tightly in my grasp. There I see a smile begin to seep into his features. The second also glances and smiles, turning his head back to look at me with a frightening grin.

"Alright," his friend quirks, keeping his distrustful grin in place. "If you must insist, you must make a worthy sacrifice to please the gods." He sneers evilly, shifting his yellow eyes slightly to his taller friend.

"A sacrifice?" I ask in a mixture of shock and confusion. The two of them nod at the same time, both drawing frightening smirks of sadistic pleasure. "Tell me then, what is it that I must sacrifice to bring us rain again?" I ask, letting the best of my impatience get to me. Again they continue to smile, now looking at each other with plotting grins.

"You must kill your father's most prized possession." The first soldier states, keeping his toothy grin in place. My eyes grow wide in terror to hear this. To achieve such approval meant to destroy what my father cherished most in his lifetime. That's suicide, but if it was worth the risk of bringing rain back into our land, I was willing to do it. I give the two soldiers a firm nod, assuring them I would not let them and the entire village down into this. The fate of the entire village now rests in my hands and it was up to me to bring back their rain. "Be quick now, Burilgi! You don't want to make the gods wait for their sacrifice! They thirst for this wolf's blood you know!" he calls out from the distance as I begin to run home. My pace quickened at the thought of my father's praise would come to me, making my heart leap with joy with my thoughts processing. Soon I am home and I enter, passing mother unnoticed and into their room. There father's sword stood tall and proud on its display, almost glittering in all its glory after all the battles it had gone through. I smile, stepping up towards the display and looking at the sword with awe. So many battles and yet it looked as if it had been made yesterday. What glorious beauty indeed. I reach out, wrapping my fingers around the grip and pulling it from its stand with careful and easy force. I did not want to be caught by mother or father and beaten for touching his sword without permission. It would be the biggest mistake of my life then. The sword comes down and I quickly catch it before it could hit the ground. _Safe…_I thought, taking the sword closer into my arms and quietly tiptoeing out of my parent's room. Slowly and stealthily I make my way out of our home and through the back where father's hunting wolf stayed, sleeping next to an old flag poll. Father is also with him and smiling, petting his pet on its head with great care. I waited, hiding behind the wall between our home and the back, watching father and his pet. Suddenly, I was beginning to doubt if what the two soldiers had told me was true. Maybe they were wrong, but then again, maybe they were right. I wasn't too sure about this, making my stomach turn slightly with the hint of doubt and guilt, but I ignore it and wait. Father soon leaves and walks in the other direction, his disarming smile fading into the usual frown of malice. After father had vanished from sight, I quickly moved out and stopped in front of the wolf. I looked down at it, seeing its golden eyes shift droopingly towards me. I stare, still holding the sword tightly in my grip. He too stared, waiting quietly as if he knew this was going to happen. I lift the sword and wait, still staring as he did the same.

He blinks, breaking the stare between the two of us and I strike. Droplets of blood spray out into the open, splattering against the wall and I as a small yelp of pain escaped the wolf's mouth. I remain, holding the sword in place as blood began to ooze slowly from the wound in the wolf's neck as he let out slow, still breaths of life. A final breath and he stops, his eyes still staring into my own as I looked on with mock horror to what I have done. A chill runs down my spine, forcing me to pull the sword out and throw it aside as I fall to my knees grasping the wolf's bleeding and broken neck.

"W-what have I done?" I ask, pulling my hands away and seeing that they had been stained in a fresh coat of crimson. I shiver, clutching my crimson stained hands tightly as my face grew pale with fright. Suddenly, a rumble is heard in the sky with clouds of grey and black rushing through the blue sky. I look up, seeing thin strikes of lightening whipping the darkened earth below. The sound of thunder follows, almost as if they were the wolf's angry growls of hate. Somehow, I felt a bit stunned to see this event coming with the thought of what those two soldiers had told me earlier. They were right and I couldn't help but to feel a bit relieved to know this. But when I looked back down at the corpse of father's pet, my stomach turns and I grow pale with guilt and sorrow. I turn away, taking father's sword and then at the sky with quivering lips. "I have done what you've asked me to do. Drink his blood well and guide his spirit safely into the stars." I say, feeling droplets of rain fall onto my skin. Soon, it begins to pour and many of the villagers run into their homes for cover from the life giving rain. I remained out doors, walking back home to tell mother what I had done. Mother is standing at the doorway as her eyes shift onto me, growing wide with shock and horror to her discovery. Drenched in blood and rain, I look at her with teary eyes as my hands shook slightly in fright from holding father's sword. She gasps, still standing and placing her hands over to her mouth to smother her screams of terror. My hands begin to quiver a bit more and I drop the sword, letting it fall next to her feet as it dripped with blood from the washing rain. Mother runs inside and shuts the door on me, locking it in place as I look on with fright and disbelief. "Ama, open the door! Please Ama! Let me in! Ama please!" I cry, breaking from my trance and rushing to the door. "Ama! Ama!" I cry out, banging my fists against the wooden door in a quickened and frightened pace. There was no answer, only silence. I look down and I see that father's sword is gone. Mother must have taken it in to put it back or tell father what I had done. My heart begins to rush slightly in panic, making me beat my fists harder into the door. "Please Ama! Let me in! Please!" I cry, slamming the door once more with my reddened fist. Silence remained, making the down pour of the rain to sound off undisturbed around the village. I wait, falling to my knees and quivering slightly in despair as the cold rain fell upon me like a waterfall.

Suddenly, the sound of a familiar cry breaks the silence and my head shot up in fright to hear it. I knew that cry whenever father was angry and I was sure he had found out about his pet's death by now. I shiver, quickly standing myself and running away from home as I began to hear the sounds of mother's panicked words and father's angry snarls. The door soon bursts open and there I see father standing at the doorway with fiery, rage filled eyes staring right at me. I scream out, jolting in all my speed as I ran out into the open with father chasing after me. Father's screams of rage echoed throughout the village, almost as if it were the pounding thunder itself. I ran, trying my best to hide myself away from father's wrath but it was no use. I was a fool to believe I could out run the wrath of my father Shan Yu; no could ever out run him even if they chose to do so. Panting, I continued, however, grasping onto a small line of hope that maybe I would be able to save myself. Suddenly, I felt as if the line had been cut as I slipped on the slippery and muddy earth beneath my feet. Ahead of me stood the two soldiers, staring at me with calm expression as the rain hit their grey complexions generously. "P-please…" I begged, panting through mud covered lips. "Help me…" They respond with a shake to their heads, drawing out a twin like pair of smiles. I then hear father's angry grunts behind me with the snapping of breaking wood to follow. Panicked by the sounds of his screams, I quickly tried to gather myself onto my feet but I would fall back onto my face, mixing the earth and blood onto my clothing into deeper stains.

"You murderer!" I hear father scream, leaping towards me with his hand poised like talons. I too scream and try to run, but I am caught within his claw like fingers and pulled back towards him. Struggling to explain, I turned to face him and my body growing white in utter most terror but he would only respond with a quick strike against my face. Father then throws me onto the muddy earth and snarls, watching my body quiver in fright. I whimper and turned to look at him, only seeing the rage in his eyes and a thin, whip like rod of wood in his hands. "You little bastard!" he screamed, striking the rod against my back as it cut deep through my clothing and into my skin. I scream out, tears withering in my eyes as I feel another strike cut through my skin, leaving a long, thin line of crimson. Another strike cuts across my back and I gasp out as my head shot up towards the pain stinging through my flesh.

"O-ow…" I whimper, lips trembling as tears began to roll down my bruised face. Father only replies with another strike, cutting deeper through my clothing and skin as I let out a pain filled wail echoing about the village. Though the amount of welts applied were quite meager, I felt as if father had already struck me hundreds of times, but I knew this was only the start. I then hear the sounds of father's steps storming over my thin, frail body as I remained face down into the wet earth. His large, claw like hand quickly wraps itself around the soaked topknot on my head and I am pulled from the earth, screaming and writhing with tears streaming down my face. He forces me to look at him, grasping my face with the other hand holding the rod dripping with my own blood. I whimper, struggling with all my might to hold in all the pain burning and aching through me. I couldn't hold it in any longer, but I had to try my best.

"Why you little fiend!" father snarls belligerently, backhanding me with impressive force. I cry out as my face flew to the other side as a dark, red mark began to form on my cheek. He then throws me down onto the wet ground, still standing over me as I quickly curled my legs tightly against my chest in fright. "How dare you do this to me?! You steal my sword and use it to kill what was closest to me! How dare you, you disgraceful, worthless child!" he screamed, his hands shaking slightly in anger as droplets of rain flew about from his raging fit. I only watch and cry, sniveling terribly through all the fright I felt rushing through my body. "And nonetheless you are a thief! A thief and a disobeying child with no respect! You dishonor me, boy! You dishonor the name of my family as well! Disgraceful little monster!" father snapped, lashing the rod onto my body several times in his rage. I scream out and cry, begging for him to forgive me for what I have done as I tried to explain my reasons for doing so. Father does not listen, choosing to beat me with my screams of agony smothering my words.

"P-please Dieh! Forgive me! I'm sorry! P-PLEASE!!" I sob through my screams of anguish as I felt the rod cutting deeply into my dirty and bloodied flesh. Hearing my apology only vexed father even further into my punishment as he still struck the blood stained rod across onto my body. He then stops and looks at me, hands quivering slightly in anger as he huffed slightly in rage. I sobbed, falling to my side as the rain fell heavier upon my body. "P-please D-D-Dieh…F-forgive m-me…" I begged, tears streaming down my bruised and mud covered face.

"Until I know enough is enough, then I may be willing to forgive you, boy!" father retorted, nearly swiping his hand across my face again. I only yield a small yelp and whimper, holding my hands up to avoid being struck across the face again. "Lay down boy! I'll be sure beat you out of every last breath you take until I know when to forgive you!" father snarled, his face dripping with the falling rain. Shaking, I nod and gulp, turning my bleeding body over for my back to face father. Now on my belly, I lay myself down and press my face deep into the earth, waiting for an end to come to this terrible pain. All I can hear are the small, muffled sounds of father's cackles, making my eyes shut tightly in fright.

Some unknowing amount of time passes and the rain has ceased into a light shower. My screams, still echoing about the village, continue after each snapping strike. Father strikes at me again and ceases, panting slightly as his yellow eyes look down at my mauled, bleeding body. I remained on the ground, quivering and sobbing uncontrollably through muffled cries and sniffles. Father only looks down with a contemptuous expression across his blood covered features. Waiting for his next command, I remain limp on the ground, my back covered in hundreds of bleeding welts oozing crimson blood that washed away in the dirt and rain.

"Beg." Father commanded equably, pacing slightly around my body with the blood stained rod behind his back. I cough, spitting out the dirt and blood in my mouth to do my father's command.

"P-p-p-please forgive m-me, Dieh…F-forgive this one f-for dishonoring y-you…I am foolish to d-disobey…F-forgive me, for I b-beg to you t-to redeem my h-honor…" I stutter, shifting my body into a submissive bow. Father draws in a small, sadistic smirk, seeing how low I had gotten to beg for his forgiveness. I wait, panting slightly as tears continued to stream down my dirty face. My body trembled, struggling to hold up my weak body with the remaining strength it had left.

"Good…" Father says, his voice a little disarming in tone. With that he turns and leaves, not even saying another word or giving another glance in return to see what he had done to me…

I wake up and I see that a week has passed since I had sent my scout on his mission. His return would be soon, but I had no intention of staying for a welcoming party. By the time of his return I would be on my way to China to destroy Fa Mulan. Of course this would not have to take some special planning, for mother would not know of my leaving nor would my scout. _Perfect, just how I wanted it…_I thought, drawing a sadistic smirk as I stood outside the doorway to my home. _Tonight, I will take my leave and soon the world will know that it is I that slew Fa Mulan…Soon…_I thought, my green eyes starring out into the distance of the sunny horizon…


	6. Traveling Destruction

Nighttime is here and the village is sound asleep deep into the dark. They are all asleep except for me, being the only one wake with a candle light in my hand. Dressed in my training gear and packed only with few weapons and equipment needed, I quietly set myself off out the door. Leaving only a short note at the side of my mother's bed, I leave her in silence without a single word of good-bye. Holding the candle, I place my fingers between the flame and put it out, placing the candle onto the table as I walked out the door. I walk out towards the stable and see that my horse is ready, eyes narrowed and determined for the long ride to China. I smile, seeing the determined look on this wonderful beast's brow. I saddle up and sigh, taking one last look of my home with a sincere expression on my features.

"Good-bye, Ama…For you may never see me again…" I state coldly, my green eyes almost glowing in the light of the full moon. My stallion snorts quietly, taking his first few steps out of his stable and into the open. Now further away from the village, I give my stallion a gentle nudge in his sides, making his run and neigh out into the open night. I smile, giving out my war cry as my horse had done the same, galloping out into the barren, desert land of my people's home. For this day will be marked in the stars, crying the day I had come for you, Fa Mulan.

I rode deep into the night, nonstop as if the world had passed by me through the sands of time. Determined and filled with silent rage, I continue on, forcing my stallion to go on for he too was determined to make his mission possible and complete. The faster I make it to China the better it would be for my plan to progress. Armed only with the sword father had given me for my birthday and the note holding key information on Fa Mulan, I knew my plan would be flawless from beginning to end. No one can stop me now and I will bring down anyone who stands in my way, even if it meant me.

Soon hours pass and I continue to ride, determined and ready to destroy anyone who dares to stand in my way. I peer down to my stallion, checking for any signs of weakness or unsteadiness of his gait. His brows, narrowed in quiet determination signaled his strength to be quite strong and I smile. Appraising his body the best I can with my green eyes, I see that he is functioning well through the ride. _Perfect…not a single flaw yet…_I think to myself, drawing a sadistic smirk much like my father had done. I can see that the sun is beginning to rise and my smile grows bigger. With more light shedding on my path, I knew this would be a better opportunity for my stallion to move a little faster. But soon I knew I had to take my rest as much needed by my loyal steed. To travel by day would mean some serious challenges and troubles ahead, especially if it meant to cross the Great Wall much like my father had done. By night it would be easier, where the sun's harsh rays bearing upon me and my stallion would not kill us through the heat. But for now, I will continue to travel until noon. Noon we will take our rest and by night travel again. So, I continue, urging my steed to go on until he could no longer hold his stamina any longer.

Noon comes and I pull at the reins, stopping my horse as he pulled himself onto his hind legs, neighing out in utter surprise to my command to stop. I quickly jump off, holding onto the reins and waiting for my horse to settle down. He neighs once more and snorts, stomping his hooves a few times into the dirt as he looked at me with tired eyes. I smile, petting him gently on his snout and giving him a small nod.

"We'll stop here and get some rest. Tonight we will ride again." I tell him in a soft whisper, still petting his burgundy snout. I feel his snout rub against my hand as he stomps his hoof twice, telling me he understood my orders. I let go of his snout and sit myself down, letting go of the reins and letting him find his own place to rest or graze in this small patch of grass. I relax, now setting myself back for a moment as I took in a deep, calming breath. I knew by the looks and features of this land, I was getting quite close. Still smiling, I close my eyes, thinking of the better times I had had with my father during my years with him; even when they sometimes had their ups and downs in life.

…flash…

It had been days since the terrible mistake I had made with father and the end of the dreadful drought. I remained indoors for most of the time, sitting in my room while my wounds healed slowly with each passing day. My eyes, red and puffy from the hours of crying each day, still withered with tears as the pain of my healing welts stung upon me still. Mother paid no heed to me or my care, caring only for herself and father when needed. Father had not even spared a single glance at me since the beating, avoiding me at all costs possible as I had done the same.

A tear rolls down my cheek, still slightly bruised but healing quicker then the other welts on my body. I whimper, setting my head onto my knee caps as I caressed them tightly against my chest. I can hear a pair of footsteps entering my room, forcing my head to shoot up in fright to hear their familiar tone. There at the door, stood father, looking at me with mollified eyes. My whimpering grows with the pace to my heart coming to a quicker jump. He had probably entered to lecture me about how pathetic I was and possibly giving me a quick beating with the lecture. He walked in, stepping towards me cautiously with a calming expression. I cry out, running towards the farthest corner of my room in fright for possible, yet doubtable protection.

"Burilgi," he calls out, his deep voice suddenly soft in his calling. I look back at him and whimper, lips trembling as another tear rolled down my face. His eyes narrow slightly in a sullen expression as he draws out a morose sigh. He sits on my bed, his eyes shifting forwards as he pressed his hand against his grey face. I watch, sniveling quietly as he remained seated. He then sets his hand down and looks at me, gesturing his fingers for me to come forth. I gulp, giving him a fearful nod as I gather myself onto my legs and walk towards him. I stop, standing barely a few inches away from his body as his yellow eyes looked deep into my green eyes. "Come, sit with your father." He offers equably, patting his hand on my bed next to where he sat. Again I nod, taking his offer and sitting next to him on my own bed, still whimpering slightly in fear that this may all be a trick. "Burilgi, I need to tell you something. Something about what happened a few days ago." He says without even looking at me and I press my face in my hands as I begin to sob. Seeing this, father quickly turned and placed his hand on my shoulder, making me yelp quietly and flinch slightly to his touch.

"I'm so sorry, Dieh. I didn't mean to make you so angry. Please forgive me." I sobbed through muffled cries without even looking at my father. Father only sighs and wraps his large, muscular arm around me, pulling me closer towards him for a slight hug. I move my hands down and look at him in surprise, feeling his other arm wrap around my skinny body with his embrace tightening slightly. I rest my head on his chest, tears still streaming down my face as he began to rock me back and forth in console.

"No. I am sorry, Burilgi. It was my own mistake for over reacting. I've been too foolish to rush into my emotions that I could not control myself. And for that, I am asking you to forgive me." father exclaims, stroking a finger through my messing, jet black hair. My eyes widen slightly in shock to hear this, almost as if I were delusional in the whole experience. Seeing father in a sullen mood was one thing, but hearing him apologize for something he had done seemed so unlike father at all. By far, I had never even heard the words "I'm sorry" come from his mouth, never in my lifetime at least. All grows silent and father's embrace grows a little tighter around my scarred, skinny body. He waits, his yellow eyes staring off at the side with anticipation for my answer to come. I sigh, feeling my heart sink heavy inside me. I could never stay angry at father forever; I was never the type to hold this against him. If I had not been so naïve into believing those soldiers' lies, I wouldn't have even done this grievous act in the first place. But the past is the past and the past remains where it belongs just as it had been rightfully named.

"I-I forgive you, Dieh." I tell him, looking up at him with saddened, teary green eyes. His eyes shift down to look into my own and there I see a small, saddened smile run across his features. "But I am sorry too…I didn't mean to do something so horrible." I say, wriggling myself out of father's grasp and falling to my knees on the floor. "I-I was stupid to do such a thing…" I whimper, bowing deeply into the ground with a single tear rolling down my cheek. Father sighs, kneeling down in front of me and lifting my small face with a finger to look at him. He shakes his head, running a finger through my hair once more and helping me off the ground.

"No, let your pity die and never let it come rise again." Father tells me equably, drawing a small, disarming smile towards me. I nod, sniveling silently as I wipe my arm across my eyes to wipe away the tears in my eyes. Father also nods and smiles as my crying subsided into small, quiet whimpers. "Now come." He says, giving a gentle smack to my arm as he stood himself back up and I look up at him in confusion.

"Why?" I ask, titling my head slightly to his demand.

"I think it's time that I let you train under me with the rest of the warriors. I now realize what a strong child you have become after I had beaten you the other day." He answers, keeping his smile in place as he made his way out the door. Bewildered to hear such a thing, my eyes grow wide as my jaw drops slightly in shock. "Well come on now. Let's get to training, my little warrior." He chuckles in a calming tone and I smile joyfully as I rush out the door before he had even stepped out.

My eyes shot open as I feel wet frothing lips smacking onto my hair. I shift them up and I see that the sun is beginning to set in the distance. I shift them down and I see my horse's lips chewing at my hair, almost as if he were trying to wake me up to ride again. I smile slightly, looking at him with sleepy eyes as I sit up with a yawn. My horse lets out a small, demanding neigh with his hooves pounding at the earth impatiently. I nod, my smile growing slightly as I quickly stand myself up.

"You seem quite in a hurry to get going my friend." I say, grabbing the reins and saddling up on his large, burgundy back. He neighs, snorting slightly with his hooves still beating the still earth below him. Again I nod, giving a gentle kick into his sides and he cries, rising to his hind legs and waving his hooves through the air. I only pull at the reins and scream out my battle cry, letting the world know I was on my way. I now ride, feeling the rush of cool air passing through my jet black hair. The sound of pounding hooves and whistling wind echoed throughout the darkening sky as I rode on. I knew I was getting closer and the mere thought of it made me crack a sadistic grin across my features…


	7. Crossing The Wall

Two days pass by and I continue to ride nonstop. We had not rest or slept in these past forty-eight hours, making the thought of destroying Fa Mulan grow deeper and darker in my mind. If I would sleep now I would know I will never wake up, causing me to fade deep into the night like a lost memory. Soon we approach the Great Wall and I pull at the reins to stop my horse. He neighs out; his head shooting back as he dug his hooves deep into the dirt to stop himself. I grimace slightly to his screeching neighs, pulling the reins harder until he came to a complete stop. He stops, holding himself still with quick, short pants escaping his frothing lips. I sigh and stop off, shifting my eyes about cautiously to keep my guard up. Though only a few feet away from the Great Wall, I was aware that the Chinese had doubled their guarding since the day of my father's defeat. _This should be an interesting challenge…_ I thought, keeping a small smirk as I held onto the reins from my horse. I then turn my attention to my horse and smile, taking my sword and cutting the reins loose from his mouth.

"You've done well my friend and now I return the favor." I say, pulling the remaining bit of the leathery reins from his mouth. He stands and snorts, ears wriggling slightly in confusion. "You are free now. I will not need your services any longer. You have served me well my friend and you are free to return to your home and herd." I say, placing my sword back in its case and he nods, turning and walking away into the distance. Watching him leave was rather hard for me, but as father had taught me then, things must be let go if you ever wanted to move and succeed. _Such wise words from a man who never went by them much…_ I thought to myself with a slight smirk, shaking my head as I began to run stealthily towards the Great Wall. Quietly and quickly, I stride through thick trees and large rocks, making no sound with each step I took. I was far too determined to stop myself now and reconsider this plan. Without a single second of sleep for two straight days, my stamina had grown to its highest peak to where I would not be able to stop myself from my own self. I continue, jumping from tree to tree as I inch myself closer towards the Great Wall.

I stop, now at the side of towering piles of brick and rock placed together before me. I smile, blinking my green eyes as I appraised the wall's sturdy structure. "This shouldn't be too difficult…" I jest to myself, seeing the shadow of a passing guard peering over me from the top. I smile and take my bow and arrow, aiming them straight for the sky and its gleaming stars. I release the string and the arrow flies, piercing through the obsidian sky that lit generously with dimming stars. Smiling, I point my finger out to where the arrow had taken flight and pin point its hit. A grunt echoes, breaking the silence. The shadow standing over me fades and the rope I had tied to the arrow whips out towards me. I grab it and pull, feeling a sturdy tug in place. I smile again and begin to climb. Somehow I was fortunate to have such a skinny body since it meant less weight on me and the rope, but it was useless against brutal attacks. Quickly, I went on; taking in short, quiet breaths with each pull I made. After some few minutes I had finally reached the top. There I see the slumped body of a dead solider with the arrow pieced though his armor, leaving a clean, perfect cut slicing through his entire abdomen. I almost cackle by the mere sight of what I have done, but that would only cause more guards to come and I had no time to make a show for China. I pull the arrow and place it back into the case behind my back, seeing a small pool of crimson drip onto the stone ground next to the dead soldier. Another set of footsteps are coming this way and I quickly slither my way towards the other side of the wall. I quickly appraise the land for any useful resources to make my escape easier. There, I see a large tree standing at the side, barely a few feet away from where I stood, but small in comparison to the Great Wall itself. Oh well, it'll have to do for now. There was no time for making such a fancy escape route like my father had done. I had no intention of making my presence known to China, at least not yet. Taking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and jump, letting myself fall over and plummet towards the earth below. I reopen my eyes and grasp my hands tightly around the smooth bark of pine word, ending my fall and saving myself from certain death. _Most…enjoyable…_ I thought to myself, drawing a smirk of relaxation across my features. My hands turn slightly as I set my feet down on a thick branch below, hearing the sound of panic above where the I had left the dead solider. There was no time to waste into taking pride for my actions; I had better plans to take pride for when they are finished. I now take my jump from the tree and land softly on the ground, barely making a single sound of throbbing earth or pounding footsteps. I turn and quickly run for the forest ahead of me, hoping now for some shelter for a goodnight's rest.

I run, now panting as my vision began to blur slightly through the darkness surrounding me. Lacking sleep for quite sometime meant plenty of restraint on my body, meaning I may need to take a good time to retrieve the amount of energy spent. I stop, panting heavily for a gasp of air. My knees shake slightly, trying to support the weight of my body and the weapons combined together. I subsided, falling to my knees as my panting also died down to quiet and slower breathing. My eyes too began to droop slightly as well, making my vision double and sway about the world around me. I smile, settling my body down onto the soft, still wet earth below. Sleep was all I needed at the moment and that was all I needed to get going as well.


	8. Dead Inside

…flash…

I am in father's training elite. At the age of thirteen I had also become the youngest to obtain the rank of one of father's elite of his best warriors. Along with that, father had also received a new pet from mother, a falcon he had name Hayabusa. I can tell father had taken a liking to his early birthday gift from mother, seeing that a falcon was far more agile then a wolf. I too have felt some sort of connection towards this creature, yet I have decided not to get to close to him considering father's possessiveness.

Today was a special day though, a day where all of father's finest warriors fought against each other to prove strength and rank above the other. From what I have heard, the final challenger was able to face my father in a worthy battle yet unable to beat him. It was fair considering father was the head of our tribe and commanding leader when it came to military and warfare. No one would dare challenge father and his authority to rule, that would be suicide and an insane thing to do.

"Today is a proud day for many of you I am sure." Father exclaims, pacing back and forth before us as Hayabusa rested upon his shoulder. The falcon chirped slightly to each of father's movements, almost as if he were trying to make himself more intimidating then father himself. We all look on with sincerity, each of us holding our weapon of choice we had created to our liking. Father pauses and looks at me with a smirk, seeing the look of determination come across my features. "As I can tell the looks on your faces, you all seem quite determined to fight." He says, still keeping his golden eyes on me. Hayabusa screeched out slightly, his narrow eyes staring at us coldly. "For today is the day you will all prove your worth to be at the top, showing that you are able to obtain and hold your rank perfectly with ease and precision." Father states, pacing again with his eyes narrowed forward. The soldier besides me scoffs slightly as his eyes shift onto me. I can tell he is quite envious that I had made it into the elite earlier then he had. At the age of twenty, he had spent more time training under father through his years of youth, but I had only obtained rank by just three years. He had to wait ten to obtain such a high status. I say nothing, however, choosing to ignore his ignorant side comments and scoffs towards me. There was no need for child's play in battle. Father then stops his speech and steps back, his arms crossed behind his back with a look of pride on his face. "You may begin…now!" he shouts and group quickly breaks into pairs of two, each warrior striking at each other to prove their strength to one another. The solider besides me had decided to come for me, suddenly swinging his sword towards my neck. I lean back, seeing that he had barely missed the tip of my nose. I quickly fall to my hands and grasp him through the back of knees with a kick, making him fall forward with a look of surprise across his face. I quickly flip over and grab my own sword, clashing it against his own in a calm matter. My expression also remained calm, showing no signs of anger or fear towards him while his remained on of envious wrath.

Soon the fight comes down to the two of us and we are nearly at our end. Bruised, battered, and tired we remain encircling each other through silent rage. Our eyes were locked onto each other as we held our swords high and poised against each other. I could tell father watched with great pride even though I could not see him.

"You may be the son of Shan Yu but I have quick intensions on proving your father that you are a failure." The soldier remarks, almost smirking through his angry snarl. I say nothing to him, feeling that placing in taunting conversation would only distract me from the fight and allowing him to win. We soon break off and I lash my foot out into his chest, ending our feud and competition. He gasps out and lands on the ground, panting heavily with the look of hate on his face. Father and the other warriors cheer to see the winner and I smile slightly, taking in only a small amount of pride. Father steps up besides me and places a large hand on my shoulder. I turn to look at him and I see his face glowing with pride and joy.

"You have done well, Burilgi. You have honored me." he says equably, his sharp fangs showing through his smile. I too smile and nod, thanking him for the complement and for his ways of training. Though I knew training had just begun, I felt as if I had taken a bigger milestone then anyone had ever taken in the world. For the first time in my life, I felt the feeling of joy and happiness rain upon me and I never thought it would feel so good…

Soon I awaken from the sounds of voices in the distance. My eyes open slightly as I sit myself up, pulling myself off the ground and rubbing my eyes slightly to awaken myself better. Soon I hear that the voices are growing louder and closer and I soon awaken fully in the midst of panic. I did not want to be found, not yet. I want to remain a shadow, a ghost, even though I despised being seen as one among my family. I shot up quickly from the ground, nearly stumbling on my own feet as I jumped for a nearby tree, digging my fingers and nails into its fleshy bark. I quickly climb, scurrying towards the top or a nearby branch that could hide me from the others. Appraising the tree for any branch, I gasp out quietly and climb towards the left, quickly slithering my way over a large branch big enough to hold an ox. I wait, grasping the fleshy bark tightly as my green eyes scan the area for where the voices had come from. There, merely a few feet from where I slept passed a few guards, armed and on the look out for any trespassers. I smile, seeing the look of sadness struck across one of the guard's faces, almost making me laugh out to know why. But I wait; taking a soothing breath and watching them pass by from where I sat. They stop, standing below from where I hid and turning their heads about the land to make any new observations.

"So you just found him dead like that last night?" the first of the two asked, looking rather confused of the entire situation last night. The second replies with a short sigh and shakes his head in grief.

"I am not certain how he died but why my brother? Of all the people on the world it had to be my brother. As if I had not lost any other members of my family to those barbaric Huns!" he scowls, looking at the other with abhor. His friend sighs and nods, telling him he understood everything. I too scowl, hearing his offending comment about what he had stated about my people. How dare he say such vulgar words without even knowing anything about us? I guess there were some things out there that I had accept that many had there own views on others and their differences. I shake my head, shaking away the bad thoughts that came upon me like a bad storm. Quietly, I slither myself off the branch and over another branch. I had to move swiftly and carefully. Those guards have not moved from their spot yet and I will not be found, unless I wanted to add a little more mystery for China. I smile, stopping midway before slither onto another branch and grasping my sword from its sheath. I then turn my back towards the branch as I push myself forward, sword poised for the kill. The guards shift their heads towards the sky, hearing the sound of my fall and their eyes widen in sudden shock. Soon the sounds of frightened cries and slicing metal echoed throughout the forest.

"Pity for you poor fellows." I jest, rubbing my thumb against the fresh coat of blood laid onto my blade. Below me, laid the bodies of the two guards, decapitated with a clean sweep of my sword. "It's such a shame you two never got to know the real story of why my father lead his people here in the first place." I say with a sarcastic sigh, moving my thumb away from the blade and running it across my tongue for a taste.

Soon I take my leave, walking through the quiet forest with ease and stealth, ready for attack whenever it would come. Though something had quite taken me by surprise with this new land I had entered. Unlike my homeland where it was normally dry and filled with few of nature's gifts, China was granted gratefully with the fruits of fertility. How China had ever managed to betray us was such a mystery but I had yet to learn more when I find this Fa Mulan. But I had to make each move carefully and perfectly, not wanting to break a single string on my plan. I want it all in perfect balance and that's how I will have it. So, I continue, quickening my pace to make my trip towards a nearby village or city quicker. Maybe it was best if I took a run instead of a walk. Smiling, I nod, agreeing with my own thought of suggestion. I pick up the pace and begin to run, feeling the rush of wind passing through my black hair. With quick, meager breaths filling my lungs with oxygen, I took no time to slow myself down or stop. It would only put me further behind plans. Resting had already taken a few hours away from me, but they were needed for a good reason. Without my rest I would probably die from exhaustion. Then the thought of my father and the news of his death came across my mind again, pushing me more to run. How I loathe the fact that a mere woman had killed my father, nonetheless, a woman entering a Chinese army and killing him through simple tricks. The Hun women of our tribe already had the rights to fight and be fierce warriors like the men, but what puzzled was how could a Chinese woman go and do the same? For what I have heard, any woman trying to engage in anything a man was meant to do was put to death as a penalty. But how was she able to fool the Chinese army into taking her in? All this thinking was making my head weary with all these questions buzzing about. In time I would find out eventually and I will be sure to know every single detail.

…flash…

A cold splash of water slaps against my back, soaking me slightly as I let out a frightened yelp. Soon I feel a swift, painful strike come across my back, making another yelp escape my partially soaked lips.

"You pathetic, ignorant boy!" The sound of father's voice boomed greatly through the pounding pain in my head. "How dare you try and make me look like a fool in front of my army!" he snarls as I feel another strike come across my back. I wince slightly and howl, groaning slightly in pain. My knees shake slightly as several more strikes cut across my back and shoulder blades, leaving thin, red welts on my naked and wet skin. I shutter instantly to feel of wind hitting my flesh, making me feel so exposed and vulnerable to the entire world. Another strike cuts across my back and I scream, gasping out for air to the sting of pain rushing through my veins. My knees fold to the break of pressure, making me fall and cough out slightly to the rushing pain. Father stood behind me with mother at his side, watching with cold, emotionless eyes as father beat me. In her hand she held a bucket, which had once held the cold water now drenched over my body. She shook her head, eying the look of anguish appearing in my eyes.

"Perhaps he has learned his lesson, Shan Yu?" mother asks and father turns his head to look at her with a snarl.

"Until I think he has had enough, then I know that he has learned his lesson Narantsetseg." Father retorted, his voice hinting in vexed tones.

"I understand Shan Yu, but what if--!" Mother's quick retort towards father had been cut off with a lash of father's hand. She steps back, grimacing as she touched her cheek with her hand. Father snarled, pointing the stick at her as if he were going to beat her.

"As my wife through the years you should know to never push or press your luck against my furry! Do not think that you are safe from my wrath as well!" he barked, bearing his teeth to her in his rage. Mother nodded sullenly and bowed, apologizing to father for speaking out of turn. I only look on with saddened eyes as I felt the rush of tears coming. I swallow hard and breathe in, trying to fight back the feeling of crying out in fear and pain. Father then turns his attention on me and scoffs, kicking my side as I flopped down on the ground, groaning and writhing in terrible pain. "And as for you, Burilgi, you of all people should know to hold your tongue in place unless you are spoken to! You should know better then to speak out against me, my plans, and strategy! You as a soldier under me should know better then that!" he scowled, beating the stick against my thighs and hips. Wincing, I try to hold in my screams through my grimaced expression, trying not to let a scream or single tear escape at all. Father continued, placing more force into his blows as m body writhed terribly to each strike. Soon I give in and I scream, letting the pain get the best of me. Father stopped, looking down at me with a small smirk to see my body quivering under his shadow. I turn my head to look over to him, my lips trembling with the flow of tears flushing my eyes in a glossy matter.

"I'm sorry, D-Dieh…It was my mistake f-for speaking out of t-turn…Forgive me…" I whimper, lips trembling slightly as I panted slightly to the burning pain. Father scoffs and turns, walking back inside the house with the stick in his hands. Mother remained and looked at me with a sigh, kneeling beside my body and helping me off the ground. We say nothing but exchange looks towards one another, almost as if we already knew what we had told each other. She stands with me in her arms, holding my frail body in her arms as we too walked back inside…

The very thought of father's anger from past mistakes pushed me further into quickening my pace. His wrath of screams and beatings raining upon me almost made my heart hot with my blood boiling with rage. If father had told me some things that were quite useful to me now, he had been quite hypocritical himself by standing by his words. But father had learned his own lesson and would never realize it now that he was dead. If he had listened to my warning of his temper consuming him, he probably would not have been dead at the moment. If he had thought thoroughly before he acted then I myself would not be here. I shake my head once more and continue to run, ignoring the aching pains in my legs begging for me to stop. All that mattered to me now was to find this Fa Mulan and destroy her. That was all that mattered…


	9. Chi Fu

Some few hours later and I see that I have come across a man passing by with an ox pulling a small cart. I stop, panting heavily with my body leaning against a large bolder. The man pauses and looks at me, bewildered to see a man like me running through these parts of the woods alone. He looks to his ox and stops it, petting its head slightly and walking up towards me. My eyes widen slightly in fright as I see this man approaching me. I had been spotted and most likely, I felt my plan had been ruined now that I had been seen. Slowly he approaches, his dark eyes peering over to where I stood. By looks in his eyes, I can tell he knew I wasn't from his country by the design and looks of my clothing. I quickly take my stance and grab my sword, poised and ready for the kill if he dared to open his mouth.

"Excuse me, are you alright?" he asks, taking a few more steps closer from where I stood. I only respond with a snarl of my sharpened teeth, keeping my sword high in defense. He stops and waits for his answer, still staring at me with those dark eyes of his. By the looks of this man, he seemed to be in his mid forties, no older then my father nonetheless. The clothing he wore had also caught my attention. They were simple yet somehow they were mixed with royal regalia, almost as if he had once worked for the emperor himself. My eyes shift about his body, studying his appearance to give me any further clues as who this man was. Everything else on him seemed quite normal for a peasant to be walking around in, all but his clothes. I lower my defenses, placing my sword at my side but poised just in case. The man still waits, pulling at the small mustache above his lips. I quickly move up to him, grasping the dirty blue collar around his neck and throwing him against the bolder, almost crushing his skinny body against the thick rock.

"I am fine, but I am taking it that you aren't." I jest, smirking at him as I draw the blade of my sword closer towards him. The man quivers slightly as he looks at me with frightened eyes. "First you answer my questions. Who are you and what are you doing here?" I ask sharply, almost too quickly for him before he could gasp out every answer I wanted.

"I am Chi Fu! I am just passing by to get back home! Please don't kill me!" the man begged, grasping my hand tightly from choking him. I growl slightly, not knowing what to do with this pathetic low life. My grasp around the collar loosens and I let go. Chi Fu quickly slides out from my grasp and stumbles back slightly in fright, still looking quite bewildered at what had just happened. His eyes too appraise my appearance and he gasps slightly in fright of realization. "You, you're, you're a Hun!" he exclaims, almost screaming in fright. I roll my eyes and sneer slightly.

"Does that matter now, fool? I am in no mood to deal with cowardice from pathetic peasants like you! Unless I can just leave you here to lie in pieces to keep you from talking!" I barked out, my green eyes growing red with anger. Chi Fu quickly clasps his thin hands over his mouth and grows silent, his eyes still looking at me in complete fright. I shake my head and sigh, placing my sword away. There was no point into killing this man. By the looks of his clothing, something had told he once was a man of the high life until a downfall came onto him. Then again, he could be of use to me now that he was here. "Where is it exactly that you live, Chi Fu?" I ask, the hint of anger dying down to slight curiosity. Chi Fu shivers and lowers his hands, gulping and opening his mouth to answer.

"I do not live far from the Imperial City. I was just on my way there. Is there something you need?" he asks, almost reluctant to say such a thing. Upon hearing this, I nod slightly and walk towards him. Chi Fu flinches slightly as I stand next to him, almost drawing up a fearful squeal. I roll my eyes once again, drawing a cold sneer across my features.

"I was just on my way to the city as well." I tell him and he nods.

"Come. I will take you then, but promise that you will never kill me if I do so." He says, leading me to the small cart where his ox stood patiently. I nod and follow, jumping into the back of the cart as he grabbed onto the leather reins of the large beast. The ox begins to move to Chi Fu's pull and I feel the cart beginning to move slowly. It felt good to relax for the bit, but something tells me this man's name and appearance meant a lot more. I had to keep my guard up incase he dared to try and stab me in the back. I sit myself and lean my back against the wooden walls of the cart, releasing the tension I felt stirring up in my mind.

Some hours pass and the sounds of the rotating wheels and the oxen's pounding hooves echo about the still and silent land. Chi Fu's soft footsteps barely made a sound visible over the squeaking wheels, making it feel as if the cart were being lead on its own. I too remain silent for the rest of the time, holding my knees close to my chest as I rest my head on them.

"So I take it that you had crossed the Great Wall?" Chi Fu asks, breaking the silence between the two of us. I look over to him and nod, telling him while he had the chance to glance over at me. Chi Fu also nods, turning his head about the open air as if he had seen something. "But I am curious. How did you do it? And what is your purpose here?" he asks, glancing over his shoulder to look at me. I stare at him. I felt no need to answer any of these questions to raise suspicions. Chi Fu's eyes shift slightly ahead and turn back towards me. "Alright then…You're not much of a talker aren't you?" he asks, but I do not reply. "I see…" he mutters, almost as we had already engaged in conversation. "Can I at least know who you are?" he asks once more.

"Burilgi." I answer scornfully, almost as if my name had left a bad taste in my mouth. Chi Fu nods to my answer and continues to lead his ox.

"So your name is Burilgi. Quite an impressive name for a Hun like you." He tells me. I say nothing to his compliment. I was in no mood for words to try and let my guard down. This was a personal war between Fa Mulan and I, not anyone else. "Well, I know you're not much of a talker but I think you might be interested into knowing why I am here." He says and I again I do not reply. "Well, I used to be the emperor's consul and when the Huns arrived to invade our country, he sent me with General Li to his army base to prepare for battle. Soon I was left to stay with his son, Captain Li Shang to write down notes on my observatories on his training…" Chi Fu exclaimed, going about as if I had actually wanted to hear his life story. Though it was interesting to hear that someone so close to the emperor could fall to the bottom of the line. The very thought of it almost made me laugh in disbelief, but I remained silent to hear out the rest of his pathetic story. "And when we had thought we won against the Huns and their leader Shan Yu…" Chi Fu went on and my eyes grow wide to the sound of my father's name. My heart almost sank in sadness to hear his name again, but I kept a firm grip inside, telling myself each day that I will soon get Fa Mulan for this. I was hoping it would not be too long either. "But when we thought this soldier was a man, she was a woman! A woman that went by the name of Fa Mulan and she ended up ruining my career and…" My eyes widen again as I thought I had heard Chi Fu mention Fa Mulan's name.

"Wait!" I cry out, pausing Chi Fu in the middle of his conversation. "Did you say, Fa Mulan?" I ask, my eyes narrowing slightly with a brow raised in suspicion. Chi Fu stops to turn and look at me, nodding slightly to answer my question.

"Yes, I did. Why?" Chi Fu asks, his expression just as suspicious as mine.

"She's that retched woman that killed my father!" My voice growled throughout the empty valley. Chi Fu's expression quickly changes to a shocked, horrified look after hearing what I had just stated. He stops, his ox also stopping in its tracks with a low rumbling cry.

"You are the son of Shan Yu?! The Hun leader?!" Chi Fu asks, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock. I sigh with a nod, my lips twisting with a sneer of hatred and disgust. Chi Fu also nods, scratching his chin slightly as he hummed quietly in thought. This man was beginning to make me feel sick and vexed. I was already hours if not a day behind my plan and this was only making things worse for me. _Maybe I should've disposed of this man before I had even asked for a ride to the Imperial City…_ I thought to myself, my sneer growing larger in size to see the look of shock across his features. But soon the shock had died down as it disappeared into an interested smile. "So, you are the son of Shan Yu and by the looks of things, I think you are here to get revenge on this woman, correct?" Chi Fu asks, still scratching his chin in thought.

"Even if that is the case what difference does it make to you, you ignorant fool?" I scoff sharply at him and he lets out a small chuckle.

"It does not bother me that you are going after Fa Mulan for revenge. In fact, I will help you." Chi Fu says, pulling at the reins to his ox to make it move again. Hearing this almost made me laugh with disbelief. _This man helping me? Ha! I'd like to see that happening…_I thought to myself with a rather mischievous smirk, but Chi Fu says nothing and continues to smile as well. I chuckle, shaking my head in a nonchalant matter.

"And what makes you think I need your help?" I ask through a small cackle, my eyes blinking slightly with a smile across my face. Chi Fu only replies with a laugh and looks back to me with the same smile he kept across his face. My smile fades quickly to see that smug look on his face. It almost made my sick to see his smile. "Well?" I sneer, my green eyes glaring with a slight hint of malice.

"I think you will need my help, Burilgi." He said, exaggerating slightly on the word will. A brow rises slightly to hear these words, making me feel unsure if I was able to trust this man at all.

"And how will you manage to do that?" I ask resentfully towards him.

"Well, I am aware that you may not know where Fa Mulan lives or her family. And I am quite sure that you are unaware that your appearance can lead up to some major problems once you enter the city. So, maybe it's best that you stick with me while you can." Chi Fu exclaims, keeping his eyes forward on the road to watch his step. My eyes widen. He was right. If I had not been discovered by him I would probably be lost wondering the land without a clue to where I was going. Somehow I felt a bit glad he was here to state that he would help me. I sigh and nod, cursing slightly under my breath to the fact that I had been proven wrong. I hate it when I am proved wrong. That was probably the only thing my father and I had in common along with our temperament and fighting skills. Though there were a few things my father and I had through differences; probably plenty of them too. I look back to Chi Fu, my eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. "Well, are you willing to take my offer or not, Burilgi?" Chi Fu asks, glancing over his shoulder with the look of arrogance.

"Alright, I accept your offer Chi Fu. Thank you." I admit scornfully and he smiles once again.

"Good," He says equably, turning his attention back on the road ahead of him. "Just make yourself comfortable back there and I will let you know when to hide from guards." He says and I nod, understanding his offer.


	10. Through The Gates and Skin

"Burilgi!" I hear Chi Fu call from the front of the cart. My eyes snap open to the sound of my name, shifting over to look up in response. "Burilgi!" Chi Fu calls again.

"What?" I croak, my voice a little hoarse from the hours of sleep.

"I suggest you hide under the pile of hay at the moment. We are approaching the city and there are guards at the gate." Chi Fu states quietly without turning to look at me. I nod, picking myself up and digging through the golden grass to hide myself. The dry grass sits and I wait, my green eyes peering slightly out of the small space to see where we were. Chi Fu was right about approaching the city and the guards. There must have been hundreds of them standing at the gate alone, guarding with cold, fierce expressions that could make anyone shiver from a glance. I only stare and wait equably, watching Chi Fu approach the gates and stop in front of the sentries calmly.

"State your business here!" Ordered the head sentry, his eyes hardened by the years of battle. Chi Fu looks up to the guard and clears his throat before speaking.

"I am here to return home and take back my trade to my home." Chi Fu states, his expression almost as sincere as the sentry's. The sentry's eyes look closely to Chi Fu and then to his cart. I remain still, closing my eyes and taking a calming breath to relax myself. I did not want to look into any Imperial's eyes after what they have done to me and my people a while ago. Soon I feel the push of the cart and I knew that they had let Chi Fu pass successfully. My eyes reopen and shift slightly to look back to Chi Fu. He was holding the reins to the ox, but the cart was barely moving. The sentries stood nearby, watching with cold expressions as Chi Fu moved slowly through the gate. I continue to wait, shifting myself slowly to make myself comfortable about this itching grass. The hay shifts slightly, but barely enough to make itself auditable to be heard by the sentries. I then settle myself, closing my eyes and resting my head onto the hay to rest my droopy eyes once again.

…flash…

I sit on top of the rocky cliff, my green eyes gleaming slightly through the horizon. Now at the age of sixteen, I understood much of the world around me and why I was in it. I too had taken to understand why father had been so cruel towards me, but not entirely towards mother. Father knew very much that mother had every right to speak out for herself and her beliefs. But knowing father's fast growing temper and attitude towards me and mother, he hated to be proven wrong and degraded nonetheless. Yet, whenever mother had been placed in the midst of blame, she too would beat and shun me away as if it were my own fault for her misdoings.

I shake my head and sigh, not wanting to think about all the painful beatings father had put me through for my mistakes. I had learned, but apparently not enough in father's eyes. Whatever father saw inside me that made him so filled with red hot rage would remain a mystery and would remain. I had no intention of asking him. I would not risk losing my tongue for such a stupid question.

Soon my thoughts are broken by the sound of stampeding footsteps pounding the earth, much like running horses. My eyes widen slightly as I notice an odd cloud of dust heading towards my village. Something was wrong, very wrong here. I quickly gather myself to my feet and stand, squinting deeper into the horizon to see what this strange cloud of dust was. I gasp, eyes widened in fright as my hands fly back in complete shock. The Imperials! They're here and they're heading straight towards my home. I had to tell father before it was too late. Quickly I turn and run down the rocky cliff, stumbling about as I begin to scream out to the other warriors in their posts of my sightings.

"Batu! Batu! Sound the alarm! Imperials are coming this way!" I shout, stumbling towards my father's best archer with a frightened expression. His eyes widen slightly to hear this, almost as if he had seen the Imperials himself. He nods and turns, quickly dipping the obsidian tip of his arrow in oil and lighting it on fire. Batu pulls at the string and releases, his fingers delicately poised as the arrow flies through the grey sky. Batu turns back to me, his face pale with fright as he too hears the sounds of thundering hooves coming towards us.

"Go, Burilgi! Warn your father! I'll see if I can take a few from here!" Batu tells me, pointing a slender finger towards the village. I nod and run, determined to get to father before the Imperials did. I feared the worst to come now as I approached the village. Soon I hear the sounds of distressed screams and neighing horses as quick ear pitching sounds of metal clashing against each other come through.

"Dieh! Dieh!" I scream out, entering into the dusty fray of screams and fights. "Dieh!" I scream out, my eyes filled with fright as I call out for my father. Suddenly, I hear the sounds of a woman in distress and my eyes widen to the sound. "Ama!" I shriek, changing my course over to where home stood. As I approach I see a group of four men surround my home, my mother standing at the doorway with a sword in her hands to prepare herself for a fight. I can tell by the look in her dark eyes, she was scared, in fact pale with fright. But nonetheless she stood her ground and swung at the Imperial soldiers viciously; warning them off that she will kill them if they dare come near her. "Ama!" I cry, running towards our home. My cry catches the attention of my mother and the four soldiers, whose eyes look right at me with slight surprise. I rush towards them, my lips curling into a snarl with my war cry echoing about the land. I pounce on a soldier and throw him aside, clasping my thin, claw-like fingers into his scalp as he too grasped my hair to fight back. Grunting and struggling to push me off, I hold my body down writhe my fingers toward his eyes as he pulled harder at my hair. Another soldier runs over to his fallen comrade and wraps his arms around my body to pull me off. I kick at him and scream, feeling his hand come over my mouth to try and keep me silent. Mother shouts in the background as a sound of metal piercing through flesh sounded off. A grunt is also heard and thud falls after. The soldier grasping my body looks over towards the source of noise and sees mother heading towards him in her rage. These men had clearly underestimated mother and the women of our tribes. Unlike their women, our women were trained and fierce when it came to protection. I struggled to cry for mother, telling her to look out for the other solider she had missed from the side but the solider kept his hand clasped tightly over my lips. I throw my head back, butting it into his own and he lets go with a cry of pain. I then quickly stand myself and throw his comrade at him, both colliding into each other and falling to the ground with great ferocity. "Ama! Look out!" I scream and she turns, her sword swinging and cutting through the soldier's arm. He screams out and falls to his knees as a large flow of crimson blood spewed onto the ground and soaking the dark earth a dark red. I quickly run to my mother and grasp her tightly in my arms. "Ama, are you alright?" I ask quickly, gasping for a breath of air through my panting. Mother nods, handing me her sword and running back into the house to get another. "Ama!" I cry out, my hand placed out to hold her back, but it was too late.

"Take your sword and fight my son! I will be fine! Go on and help the others!" Mother yells back, rushing into the house to look for something. I place my hand down and nod firmly, taking my sword and rushing into the battle fray. My eyes scan about the dusty village, seeing only silhouettes of warriors and soldiers fighting each other with all their might. A scornful growl is heard off at the side and I quickly turn to face it, sword raised in defense and ready for the kill. I too growl in return and step up, seeing only that their shadow had taken a familiar shape. A sword strikes at me but I quickly block with my own, holding up their sword from placing a fatal blow on me. The figure steps out of the dust and I step back in surprise and relief.

"Dieh!" I cry out, our swords pulling away and falling to our sides.

"Burilgi!" father cries out, his golden eyes wide with shock. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" he asks, grasping my shoulder and pulling me into an untouched area of the battle. I quickly nod to answer him, my green eyes scanning the area as I held my sword high incase of attack. "Where's your mother? Is she safe as well?"

"Yes, Ama went back into the house after she disposed of a soldier herself. She told me to come here and fight for us." I tell him, my voice filled with the hint of slight worry. Father nods and also raises his sword, his back towards me as I place my back against his. We both growl, lips curled into snarls as we hear the sounds of Imperial soldiers surrounding us in a small circle. The noise finally subsides and the dust begins to die down, revealing a small group of soldiers encircled around my father and I. We wait with our swords ready, our eyes glaring at the group of soldiers that stared back at us with the looks of sadists. Their leader steps up, raising a hand to settle his men down as he steps towards us. Father and I hold our position, panting slightly as this man stepped before us.

"At ease gentlemen," he says, giving a quick glance towards his men and they nod in understanding. His attention turns on me and my father. "Forgive me for such intrusion but I am General Li." He says, his brow raised slightly with a disarming smile. Father growls, stepping up in front of me with his large hand keeping me back for protection. I turn my head and look at him in slight confusion. Father only keeps his hand over me and closes it into a fist.

"I don't need to know who you are, 'General', but what I want to know is your purpose being here to invade my village!" father snarls, his golden eyes turning red with anger. General Li only cocks his head back and chuckles, his lips twisting into a sick smile.

"Do not be so hasty my friend, we are here by orders." General Li answers equably, his dark eyes looking over at father and then at me.

"By whose orders?" Father retorts, bearing sharp fangs in his rage. Father's question only raises General Li to laugh some more, almost as if this entire situation were a joke. I shake my head and turn away, not wanting to let my anger take the best of me. I then take notice of one of the soldiers in front of me. He was shaking, struggling to keep himself under control as his skin grew pale with fright. His eyes were wide as well, shifting about the area as he bit deep into his lip. Something was wrong here and I can sense it perfectly. I turn my head back to father, stepping up in front of him slightly before being pushed back again.

"Dieh," I whisper, grasping my father's large hand in my own frail hands. Father's golden eyes shift over to me and a brow raises. "I don't trust them. They're lying." I whisper quietly, my lips moving to my words so I would not be heard by the Imperials. Father nods, his golden eyes shifting away from me and back to General Li. I knew father felt the same feeling I felt, but somehow I felt he wasn't getting the entirety of what I was trying to tell him. I turn my head back to the shaking soldier and I see that he is sweating has quickened. He is nervous; I can see it by the look in his eyes.

Suddenly, the soldier snaps, his eyes widen and he shouts. The others look to him in shock and quickly try to hold him back as father and I turn in surprise as well. He screams out, pushing his friends aside and aiming the tip of his sword for my father.

"Dieh look--!"

I wake up, gasping out for a deep breath of air as I clasp my frail hands tightly against my chest and stomach. My body shakes slightly as I feel a bead of sweat rolling down my forehead. I push my knees against myself, still shaking and panting in fright. My eyes shift over to the right and then to the left. I am no longer in Chi Fu's cart or hiding inside the itching golden grass. Instead, I found myself inside a small, furnished home with few royal artifacts hanging about to remind Chi Fu of his past. I sigh, now calming myself as my knees loosen and fall to the ground. My grasp loosens on my chest and stomach as well, revealing the large scar I had received not too long ago. I shiver, shaking my head and wiping away the sweat from my forehead. Chi Fu steps in, humming a small tune to himself as he entered looking at me with a bit of worry.

"Are you alright?" He asks. I nod, waving him away to tell him I was alright. Chi Fu also nods and heads out the backdoor to his home, continuing to hum the same tune he kept earlier. _Strange man…_I thought to myself, displaying a small frown of annoyance. _But he will be of good use to me…Once he serves his purpose to me he will no longer be of use…Until then, he is useful…_I think once more, resting my head back on the pillow Chi Fu had provided me with for rest.

…flash…

"Report, Batu…" Father's raspy voice hisses slightly as he kneels on the ground, holding my body in his arms. Aside him laid his sword, covered in a fresh soak of blood and cloth. Batu stands besides father and pants, his jet black hair waving silently in the wind.

"The Imperial, General Li, has escaped. His soldiers are dead, Shan Yu." Batu replies, kneeling beside father with a calm expression drawn across his features. Father nods, his lips twisting quietly into a snarl.

I look up to father with dazed eyes, drops of crimson seeping through father's claw like fingers as he held me. My words are smothered through gags of blood and spittle as I try to speak to father. He places his finger on my lips, silencing me from speaking another word.

"D-Dieh…" I stutter, grasping my hand onto his fur coat. Father holds onto me tighter and looks to Batu. "D-Dieh, don't leave m-me…" I whimper, blood slithering from the corner of my mouth.

"Shh! You'll be fine, Burilgi. I promise." Father whispers, stroking a finger through my hair. I nod slowly, closing my eyes and let my hand fall from his coat. "Batu! Quick!" I hear father shout as I begin to fade into the darkness…

"Burilgi, I have something for you." I hear Chi Fu say from behind, grabbing my shoulder and shaking me slightly to get my attention. I turn myself over and look at him with slight confusion. Chi Fu looks at me and then around the small house we stayed in. He pulls a scroll from his tattered, blue sleeve and hands it to me. I look at the scroll and then at Chi Fu. He smiles and steps back a bit, waiting for me to reveal the contents hidden inside this paper. I place my finger between the ribbon and paper and pull. The scroll unravels itself and I begin to read over it. Soon a smile appears on my face with my eyes appraising the paper. I move it down and look to Chi Fu, still smiling and letting a sadistic cackle escape my lips.

"Excellent work, Chi Fu." I say, rolling the scroll back into its original state.


End file.
